If you are like our family we love to drive straight from the Denver Escape Campervan location to the campgrounds surrounded by mountains and waterfalls! But sometimes it’s good to stop and smell the… city lights? I don’t know. Anyway, here are some ideas if you are sticking around town and want some reasonably-priced, family-friendly entertainment!
Camping
Dakota Ridge RV Resort
This is a fun, clean resort for the kids. There are clean showers, electric hook-ups (nice for when it’s cold in the camper van) and a playground for the kids!
There are many other camping areas around Denver.
Coffee & Tea
Tea Bar by Teatulia
This is a must stop! If you are a tea drinker this is what you need to fill your carry-on with! The best tea in town but let’s talk about the coolness factor. They have a tea wall that represents Colorado the best way it can- in the shape of its flag!
Prettiest Starbucks ever
There are awesome coffee shops on just about every corner! One of my favorites though is a Starbucks with its awesome modern style inside, stairways to nowhere, exposed brick and more. Also a beautiful view of Platte River on the outside. Bonus, it’s next door to an REI! (This is also a couple of blocks from the Children’s Museum, see below.)
Things To Do
Children’s Museum in Denver
Before you move along thinking, been there/done that, think again! This children’s museum has rooms and rooms of fun for children of all personalities! There’s a 3 story mountain climb with 360 views at the top (ages 4+)! We played for hours and the girls didn’t want to leave! There’s a new adventure forest open so we want to go back sometime. One and under are free, 1-year-olds are $12, 2-59 $14 and then over 60 goes back to $12. Parking is free!
16th Street Mall
This area has so many interesting things to see just by walking the streets! There are so many bright lights and how fun is it that you can just walk right down the street with no cars? If you go in the evening, you will see lights lining the streets and if you are close to Christmas, the trees are lit up too! Bring your dancing shoes because there will be pianos playing and the jazz will definitely make those feet move. Such a fun atmosphere! We had a chance to check out Lime Pavilion. Such a delicious place and if you happen to be there on a Tuesday the deals are killer! If you make it to this restaurant you’ll be up close and personal to the cool metal “Denver” sign!
Hiking
Boulder Flatirons
About 40 minutes out of Denver in Boulder, you can find some of the most uniquely shaped rock formations called the Flatirons. They are very popular so do your research ahead of time for parking. There are shuttles from different parking areas outside of the trailhead areas that will bring you in.
Chautauqua trailhead connects to canyon trails along Boulder’s Front Range. Near its southern end the Mesa Trail branches off twice to the Shadow Canyon Trail, but the main Mesa Trail goes eastward to end at the South Mesa Trailhead.
Mesa Trail
This is a 6.9 mile in and out trail. It starts with an open field like feel and then starts to go up through towering trees. We got up to the irons and the trails just keep going and going. We enjoyed the views and headed back down. There was very heavy foot traffic near the bottom, but the higher we got, the more the crowd thinned out. If you only have time to do part of this trail it is totally worth it.
Not feeling a hike? It’s still a beautiful place to bring a blanket, sit and take in the beautiful views!
While the crowds can be a pain, remember, there is a reason this place attracts so many people – it is truly unique and beautiful!
One other thing is there are many murals around the city for those perfect Instagram shots. Just remember to be safe as you pull up to these places and businesses. Denver is full of beauty and has so many unique possibilities, these are just a few that we found fun for our family with young children!